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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2013
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First time post, so first let me take the opportunity to say thanks to all those who have posted solutions and suggestions for others - you have been very helpful.
I got BIAB 2013 and RealPak 1 Jazz about 2 months ago and have never really gotten it off the ground. Part of it is just learning curve, which is fine, but something is not right. The installation also came with other software - RealBand, CustomShop, NewAgePianist - that I don't use and have no idea what they do.
In BIAB, I've entered chords for a jazz tune and I want BIAB to play them while I practice the head and then take some solos. Pretty basic, right? The style is _BOSSAG Bossa with Guitar, I have RealTracks in the BIAB folder but haven't added them to the song yet. I press GenPlay, it generates the song and after a few seconds it starts to play. Sounds OK, except every 8-10 seconds it gives 2-3 seconds of nasty static.
After reading some of the threads here, I have: reset to factory specs, downloaded and installed the patch for the latest build available from this site, and run DPC latency checker which indicated no problems. One of the threads, by Gary Curran and back on page 3 now, suggests that static such as this may be due to expired trial software. This sounds possible, but I have no clue which software it might be. So now I have my eye on all that RealBand, CustomShop stuff that I'm not using. I'm tempted to deinstall everything except BIAB and the RealPak. Only downside to this is I don't want to deinstall something that is vital to BIAB functioning properly. So, my question: what does BIAB *have* to have in order to work properly, and what can I safely get rid of?
I'm using a Toshiba mini-book, Windows 7, 1GB RAM, Intel Atom CPU N455 @ 1.67 GHz, plenty of hard drive.
Thanks for any suggestions/ideas.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2007
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Expert
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Expert
Joined: May 2007
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In RealTrack Preferences, uncheck the 'Speed up generation of RealTracks' and see if that helps. I believe that style automatically loads some RealTracks. If the track part turns green, it is a RealTrack. Some older/slower machines can't handle the fast generation option.
I would not de-install anything yet. The software you mentioned should have nothing to do with your 'static' problem.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2011
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Hi and welcome to the forum. Not to worry...there are many here who will help you but we'll need some more info to start with. First of all don't delete anything yet, this could actually make things worse. Did you do a standard install of the PG materials, that is did you let the program install into its default locations? You should see a BB folder and a RealBand folder on your C drive if you did. What make and model is your audio card? When you ran the DPC Latency checker were all of the indicators in the green? Did you run it for at least 4-5 minutes? Next, go to www.primatelabs.com/geekbench/ and download the GeekBench software, extract, run it and tells us your GeekBench score. This will let us know if your laptop has enough processing speed to handle the job. This is a trial version of their software but run it and you can delete it later if you want. The GeekBench score will come up in your browser. Let us know the results of the above and we'll move to the next level. Jeff
Win11, Intel i7 7700K 4.2Ghz, 32Gb RAM, 2x1Tb HD, 500Gb NVMe, BIAB/RB 2026, MOTU 828MK3 audio, MOTU Midi Express, Yamaha Montage 7, DX7II, TX802, Motif XS Rack, Roland Fantom XR Rack, Oberheim Matrix 1000, VoiceLive3 Extreme, Kontakt 6, SampleTank 4.3
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
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We are talking about a netbook with an Atom processor and not much RAM. It may not have the horsepower, plus the built-in audio may not be up to the task. We will know better when we see the Geekbench score.
Several years ago, my Toshiba netbook could support only one RealTrack at a time, and that was with a version of BIAB that did not stress the system as much as 2013 now does.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
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PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
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>>> In BIAB, I've entered chords for a jazz tune and I want BIAB to play them while I practice the head and then take some solos. Pretty basic, right? The style is _BOSSAG Bossa with Guitar, I have RealTracks in the BIAB folder but haven't added them to the song yet. I press GenPlay, it generates the song and after a few seconds it starts to play. Sounds OK, except every 8-10 seconds it gives 2-3 seconds of nasty static. Hi, Welcome to the forum. There isn't anything I can think of that would cause static on a _BOSSAG.sty. You should determine if the statis is on all instruments, or just a single instrument. If it's a single instrument, and its a MIDI track, then.... A few of the styles use SampleTank, and if you haven't registered that, you would get static. It's easy and free to register SampleTank. Keep in mind that doesn't affect styles like _BOSSAG that are all RealTracks, so I don't think that's the problem, but if its only happening on a few styles, and they are ones that use SampleTank (ie MIDI SuperTracks styles)... then it would be time to do the free register. If that isn't the issue, please do the following: 1. Do a geekbench measuring the speed of your system. http://www.primatelabs.com/geekbench/You need about 1,500 to run BiaB. Anything more than that is better. Let us know the result. 2. Make an audio file (wma) of one of the songs. You can upload it to soundcloud.com in BiaB 2013 and then send us the link. Or upload it to any other site, so that we can hear it. It would be significant if the audio static makes it on to the rendered file or not. It depends what you mean by static. If it's a brief sound, that can mean that your audio buffers are running dry. Those are "audio dropouts". There are a number of causes of that. Googling "audio pops" or similar will get you help on that, and others might have other links.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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You guys have been through this a few times before haven't you?  Everything in default location. Audiocard - It has RealTek High Definition Audio as its default device. I think it is an integrated sound processor rather than a sound card per se. Geekbench score 929.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Unfortunately, that Geekbench score indicates you can expect problems running BIAB 2013 on that computer.
As I mentioned, when I ran BIAB on a similar netbook, I could only use one RealTrack. Perhaps it will work for you if you try that, or you could try just using MIDI sounds.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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A few seconds of nasty static sounds like a plugin that is not registered. In particular look at amplitude, or sampletank.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Just MIDI sounds? Blech.  Robh, there was some funniness that went on when I tried to register all the extras. I went through the e-process of registering amplitude etc but I'm not sure it took - I never really got confirmation that I had successfully registered, which left me feeling a bit weird about it. My BIAB is registered for sure, the others I hope. Are they essential to run styles or RealTracks? And how do I tell if I have a plug in that is not registered? I have the DVDs to reinstall if necessary. Matt Finley, thanks. Is there a fix that I can do with this machine, such as more RAM? Or do I need to go for more of a processor?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 15,976
PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
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Yes,it sounds like a slow machine is the culprit. You could try disabling fast generation of Realtracks. That will mean that it takes longer to generate the songs, but they will likely play without static. Btw, you should disable video acceleration if you haven't done that already.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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That netbook is simply not going to cut it, even midi only may not cut it. We've been around and around with this with different people over the years and that's the bottom line. We have worked with people tweaking and messing around for weeks and finally they realize they're never going to be happy with a slow weak system.
You need a full PC not a netbook. Minimum is a core duo with 2 gigs of ram. The thing about that is I gave one of those away to a friend two years ago that had a score of 1470 because it could not keep up with multiple Real Tracks either. It worked but it could take upwards of a full minute or longer to generate a 4 RT song. If I added a RT soloist then it was closer to 2 minutes. We're dealing with audio here and it takes horsepower. Look at my sig below, that's what you really need, it cost me $600 two years ago, probably less now.
I can tell you're new at this stuff and that's fine, lots of folks are but you need to simply believe what I'm telling you here. Unless you're going to stick with midi only, save yourself the grief and get a powerful PC. Minimum requirements are ok, Peter is correct in that 1500 or so will work but just bacause it will play without glitches doesn't mean you would be happy with it. It's tiring and boring to sit there and watch the screen for over a minute in order to test a RT style and then discover in the first 10 seconds it's not what you want. Faster is better in the computer world.
As to the glitches you're hearing set up Biab to work with the Coyote Wavetable for now and see what happens and use the all midi styles no Real Tracks. The Coyote Wavetable synth will take Sampletank out of the equation, we can help with that later if it's an issue.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Also fully understanding the difference between midi and RTs is really important. Isolate which tracks are making the sound. mute all but one and play it, then repeat until you have that track identified.
If it is all of them then it as Peter said look at either the system, or the synth.
If is is one in particular then look at the synth or the plugins that the track uses.
RTs are audio wave or WMA files those usually only have effects applied at the mixing stage. Like reverb and compression and such.
Midi is data not sound, and only becomes sound when ran thru a synth of some sort. Coyote wavetable, MSSGS, sampletank, etc. if it is the synth making the offending sound then registration could be the issue, or again system bottle neck.
really take the time to isolate the issue and then we can be of more help.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Good answers directly above. If it turns out your netbook is inadequate, I recall from experience opening up my Toshiba netbook that upgrading it would be difficult (and I build all my own desktop PCs). I also wonder if it is time to consider revising the minimum specs for BIAB upward. I would think that these are perhaps no longer adequate for satisfying performance: http://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.requirements.htmMaybe give a minimum Geekbench score and a link to download it?
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2010
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About a week or so ago, I finally gave up trying to make my netbook play nicely with BIAB 2013 and realband. It had 2G of memory and I had done all the things advised on here...and it's geek score was about the same as yours.
I was having very similar problems to yourself, even with midi if I tried to use the amplitube and sampletank varieties.
I really had never intended buying a new machine when I upgraded to 2013, but netbooks seem not up to the job. I gave in and bought a machine with a geekbench score of around 8000 (hopefully will handle later versions of BIAB).....and now I can use the software without getting most of the static and distortion problems.
I would get a better machine if you can.
Good Luck
Den
Den
'Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they are NOT after you........'
Win 10 , BIAB 2017, and that's all folks !!!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
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>> I gave in and bought a machine with a geekbench score of around 8000 (hopefully will handle later versions of BIAB)
FWIW, my geekbench is 3,500 on the PC that I program Band-in-a-Box on, so, yes, 8000 should handle it quite well!
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thanks everyone for your replies. Looks like I need to get a better machine!
And that brings up the next question, along the lines of what jazzmammal was suggesting. It's apparent that the "minimum requirements" on the link posted by Matt Finley don't really cut it - perhaps they're the minimum if you want to play MIDI only? But if you really want to use BIAB 2013 with styles and RealTracks to its full abilities, what realistically is the minimum hardware and software needed? 32 or 64 bit? 2 GB RAM? Duo Core (whatever that is)? What exactly influences the geekbench score? I don't want to get another machine and discover it's not up to par, but I don't want to pay for way more than I need either.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I would be surprised if any new laptop or desktop computer that is not a netbook would have trouble running BIAB. My machine, home-built 5-year old, is a Core 2 Duo, which you asked about. It's fine, but it's now on the low end of meeting minimum requirements for some other software. There should be no difference in BIAB from 32-bit OS to 64-bit, unless you are using lots of plugins and software synths, because of the 4 GB limit (3.2 in practice) of RAM accessible by a 32-bit OS. However, I think you would find it hard to buy a new Windows computer that is not 64-bit now, and most have more than 2GB of RAM. I think 4GB is a good minimum now. The Geekbench score seems to take into account several characteristics of the PC and gives a composite score. EDIT. Not exactly; I just read the Geekbench website and the test is primarily testing the processor. It tests several characteristics of the processor, plus memory and some motherboard chips, but not external storage like disk drives. Here are the details, if anyone wants to know: http://www.primatelabs.com/geekbench/doc/benchmarks.html
Last edited by Matt Finley; 03/14/13 05:30 PM.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thanks Matt. I took the option of getting the BIAB and ReakPak hard disks along with the download when I purchased, so I have those ready - any chance I'll have a problem with a 2nd installation on a new machine?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
I don't want to get another machine and discover it's not up to par, but I don't want to pay for way more than I need either.
This is the big wrong assumption people make. You never pay for more than what you need when it comes to computers. The more expensive ones are faster, simple as that. So do you need faster? How much can you afford? Those are questions only you can answer. Whatever you get will start to seem old and slow after 4 years or so because the software we all love gets better but better needs more computer power. That's what drives PC sales, is the latest and greatest versions of software whether it's our music stuff or an engineering CAD system. It's a collaboration between the software developers and hardware chip makers.
Software is NEVER good enough for power users, we always want more, just look at this forum. Why can't we do this or that comes up all the time. The answer is if they did that it wouldn't run on a 5 year old machine but it would run on a super hot Intel i7 with 32 gigs of ram. Yes I said 32 gigs. There's plenty of systems out there with that kind of ram and then there's SSD system drives and all kinds of other cool things. A box like that can cost over $3,000 and trust me you would be in 7th heaven running Biab with all the RT's on that system. If you had a chance to test Biab on a system like that you would definitely want it but do you "need" it and are you willing to pay for it are the big questions. What we all do is set a budget (the higher the better) for our little hobby and then ask questions and shop around for the fastest machine we can get for that money knowing in a few years we get to do it again.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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4 gig of ram, come on Bob, you gotta head to the parts store!
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
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Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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